Ammunition boxes are used to store large quantities of ammunition to supply machine guns and other firearms with ammunition. The ammunition is usually individual bullets that are joined together with links forming a continuous belt of ammunition and then folded into ammunition boxes from where the linked ammunition is fed to the weapon.
A conventional ammunition box is most often box-shaped where the width is narrow compared to the length and height. The ammunition box may also be divided into several smaller chambers or bays by divider walls, the divider walls herein referred to as partitions or baffles, where each chamber stores a certain amount of the total linked ammunition. The width of the ammunition box or chambers is wide enough to receive the width of the linked ammunition. In this patent application it is referred to ammunition boxes with divider walls, baffles or partitions, and chambers or bays.
When pulling linked ammunition out of a horizontally leveled and/or stationary ammunition box during firing the conventional ammunition boxes usually work as intended. But once the ammunition box is tilted or exposed to vibration, which are two common scenarios when mounted on a moving vehicle, unless a means for retaining the ammunition in the box where it was placed on filling of the box, the linked ammunition starts to move from one chamber to another within the ammunition box causing interlocking and jamming of ammunition and subsequent loss of weapons fire. The reason for the interlocking and jamming is the non-symmetric design of the bullets. The bullets have a pointed projectile end and a wider powder cartridge base. When the linked ammunition starts to move from one chamber to another within the ammunition box the pointed projectile end has a tendency to get entangled between the bullets in the linked ammunition belt that is being fed to the weapon or fall down on top of the other ammunition already in the chamber in such a way that it causes interlocking and jamming.
This problem is especially apparent when the ammunition box is tilted causing a negative or positive pitch. During pitch the linked ammunition has a tendency to fall towards the lowest point in the ammunition box due to gravity, thereby falling from one chamber to another which can cause the already mentioned interlocking and ammunition jamming. Another problem is the siphon effect that will occur when one chamber is emptied during firing and the level of linked ammunition gets below the neighboring chamber's level. When this occurs the linked ammunition will start to move from one chamber to the next due to the siphon effect which causes interlocking and ammunition jamming, unless a means for retaining the ammunition in the box in such a way as to preventing the siphon effect to occur. The siphon effect problem is also present on horizontally leveled and/or stationary ammunition boxes.
The main goal of the invention has been to stop the undesired effect of linked ammunition moving from one chamber to another within the ammunition box and keep it in place like it was originally loaded into an ammunition box which does not include a means for retaining the ammunition in the box to prevent it from moving from one chamber to another.
European patent EP0430565B1 discloses a magazine for storing a belt of ammunition, the magazine comprising a box like container having a plurality of spaced partitions to subdivide the interior of the container into bays, each partition having an upper edge, and an anti-siphon member supported on the upper edge of each of the spaced partitions. Each anti-siphon member is supported on said upper edge of its respective partition for limited pivotal movement. Each member has an integral projecting finger movable between retracted and extended positions relative to the peripheral surface of rollers mounted in positions above the edges. Upon withdrawal of an ammunition belt loaded in the container with multiply folded serpentine portions thereof deposited in each bay and with interconnecting loop portions thereof draped over the rollers from one bay to an adjacent bay, the fingers assume the retracted positions to permit movement of the belt out of the bays directly to an exit port of the container and assume the extended positions engaging the interconnecting loop portions of the ammunition belt to prevent syphoning movements thereof into the bays as the serpentine belt portions are being withdrawn therefrom to the exit port.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,561 discloses in an ammunition box having partitions forming a series of open compartments wherein a cartridge belt may be stored by looping the belt into the compartments over the partitions, a pawl connected to an upper end of the partition for preventing retrograde movement of the belt with respect to the compartment. The pawl is pivotally connected to the partition so as to allow limited pivotal movement of the pawl from a rearwardly projected position to a generally in-line position with respect to the partition wall for allowing the belt to pass thereover, towards an outlet.
Other ammunition boxes or magazines with partitions or means for controlling the position or deployment of ammunition are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,638, U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,191, U.S. Pat. No. 4,393,746, U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,774, U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,615, U.S. Pat. No. 4,213,376, U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,258 U.S. Pat. No. 2,452,545, U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,180, U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,609 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,131.
By designing ammunition boxes with divider walls and baffles, thereby dividing the ammunition box into several smaller chambers or bays, and then placing a simpler and more robust ammunition retainer device on top of each baffle, the present invention provides a further solution to the problems related to linked ammunition moving from one chamber to another within the ammunition box, thereby reducing ammunition jamming often caused by tilt and vibration of the ammunition box. The siphon effect problem has also been solved.